Patagonia invests in the natural treatment of textiles

Patagonia, the renowned outdoor apparel company, announced that it will invest in a firm specialised in the treatment of natural raw materials and high-performance textiles.
Beyond Surface Technologies (BST) is a Swiss company that aims to reconcile sustainability and performance by replacing fossil-based raw materials and using sustainable technologies for treating textiles based on natural substances, without compromising quality. The investment was made possible thanks to $20 Million & Change, the fund created by Patagonia in 2013 in order to support the most innovative companies committed to creating environmental solutions and promoting a positive change through business.
In order to obtain high-performing outdoor apparel even in adverse weather conditions, certain chemical substances are necessary, according to Patagonia. However, such substances can be toxic and have a significant environmental impact.
For this reason, the Californian company founded by Yvon Chouinard is always looking for low-impact solutions to get rid of chemical substances. Thanks to Patagonia's investment, Beyond Surface Technologies (BST) will share all the findings oriented towards the production of sustainable outdoor apparel with it.
“Patagonia’s investment gives us the opportunity to accelerate testing and reduce time to market for our pipeline of groundbreaking new treatments for the entire apparel industry,” Matthias Foessel, BST's CEO said. “Patagonia is enabling us to grow even faster, ­benefiting the environment and enhancing product performance ­while remaining completely independent and in control of the original founders. This is truly unique.”
Patagonia is thus confirmed as one of the most active companies in the protection of the environment, as demonstrated by Yvon Chouinard’s quote: “There is no business to be done on a dead planet.”